[Maybe this black hole in her chest is normal, then? Maybe it will slowly fill back in as she gets used to whatever this is. She has to hope that's the case, because she can't deal with this forever.]

It's already not okay, Elena. Tyler was dying and he scared me off. I just left him and ran away, right into this mess. I should have stayed, right? That's what I was supposed to do?

[Be there for him, in the end. There's no way he wanted to be alone, even if he didn't want her to see.

Her breath shakes, her emotions leak out everywhere, this desperate helplessness, grief that she hasn't been able to even look at because she hasn't had time. She sucks it back in, tries to shove it in the back of her mind, blinks back tears.]

No, you're right. It's going to be fine. We'll figure it out. We always do.